Communist China Increases Coal-fired Power to Make Up for Electricity Shortage

According to foreign media on August 29th, the water level in Communist China’s rivers, lakes, and reservoirs has drastically reduced due to the persistent high temperature and drought, having a serious impact on daily living, agricultural irrigation, and hydropower generation. As a result of the heatwave and drought, several places in Communist China had electricity shortages due to insufficient hydropower, which supplies around 80% of electricity in Southwest China. Hundreds of rivers and reservoirs in the region have dried up due to nearly three months of high heat and drought. Power generation in Sichuan, a key hydropower region, has dropped by 50%, resulting in rolling blackouts and power rationing in several towns. To compensate for the hydropower shortfall caused by the drought, the CCP government is boosting its coal-fired power. Communist China’s coal output is currently at an all-time high, while Russia’s coal imports are likewise at an all-time high.

At the same time, the CCP reversed their position, claiming that energy security is a more pressing national priority than green energy. According to statistics, the CCP government approved 8.63 gigatonnes of new coal-fired power plants in the first quarter of 2022 alone, as well as a $10 billion ($2.1 billion) investment in coal power generation. Furthermore, CCP will increase the production capacity of domestic coal mines to secure supply in light of the recent price increase in the international coal market. The CCP’s Electricity Council advises that coal-fired power generation reach 1,300 gigatonnes by 2030 in order to fulfill rising demand and improve energy security. Communist China will need to build more than 300 new thermal power facilities to meet this target. Communist China accounts for almost one-third of worldwide carbon dioxide emissions. Power shortages created by the heat and drought calamity pushed CCP to increase thermal power generation, making meeting the global climate goal more difficult.